


In the Summertime

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2020 [67]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nanny, Disney World & Disneyland, Family Fluff, M/M, Pining John, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fic, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25728520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Song Titles prompt:Any, any,American Life In the Summertime(Francis Dunnery)In which the McKays and John take a family vacation, and there are mixed feelings.
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: Bite Sized Fic 2020 [67]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610332
Comments: 23
Kudos: 79
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	In the Summertime

When John was a kid, before his mother passed away, summers meant staying at the house on Martha’s Vineyard. Tennis and squash at the country club, swimming with the kids of Patrick Sheppard’s rich acquaintances, and bonfires on the beach. John’s brother Dave had always pushed for a trip to an amusement park, but that wasn’t something Sheppards did.

The McKays, on the other hand, made an annual summer pilgrimage to Disneyland in Anaheim. 

Rodney spared no expense. He got them a suite of rooms at the Grand Californian, arranged for Eleanor and Jaxon to participate in one of the Disney Princess breakfasts, and otherwise spoiled the kids extravagantly. 

John more than made up for a childhood lack of amusement parks on the trip. He and Rodney accompanied the kids on every child-friendly ride in the place at least once, including the Haunted Mansion, the Dumbo ride, and It’s A Small World. They all got Mickey ear hats to wear, ate ridiculously overpriced park food, and dealt with several meltdowns brought on by the heat, too much sugar, and the impatience of small children having to wait in line.

“These trips are torture,” Rodney sighed. 

He was sitting in a lounge chair under a big umbrella on the deck of the pool with the turtle fountain. John was sitting on the edge of the pool, legs in the water and his eyes on the kids.

“Then why do them?” John asked, looking at Rodney over his shoulder.

“This is what families do, right? The good ones?”

In the short time John had been working as a nanny to Rodney’s kids, he’d learned a lot about the family dynamics. Despite Rodney’s successful job as an engineer, working for a company he’d built from the ground up, he had little confidence in his abilities as a single father. He plied the kids with all the toys and books and games they could want but didn’t seem to realize that he was a good dad on his own merits.

“I don’t think there’s a rule book for this sort of thing,” John replied. “Just spending time with you is all they need.”

“The all-American summer family vacation. The road trips, the Disney experience. I want to make sure my kids have everything they deserve.”

“No two kids have more,” John assured him. “Can I make a suggestion, though?”

“I don’t suppose I could stop you,” Rodney said dryly. 

“Maybe next time skip all this and just take the kids camping. You’ll save a hell of a lot of money and spend more quality time together.”

Rodney made a face. “Camping?”

“Nothing more family-friendly than camping.”

And maybe John just wanted to see what Rodney McKay’s version of that would look like. The man splurged on his own luxury as much as he lavished it on the kids.

“Daddy!” Eleanor paddled over to the side of the pool, looking a little like an alien with the swim goggles and nose plug. “Come swim!”

“Mr. John will swim with you.”

“Come on, Rodney,” John wheedled. “You’re covered in about an inch of SPF one thousand. Swim with us.”

It took a concerted effort, and Jaxon making his best pouty face, before Rodney joined them in the pool. With the four of them splashing each other and laughing and having a good time, it was easy for John to forget that the McKays weren’t his family.

He was just the nanny.


End file.
